With the advent of high technology needs and market deregulation, today's energy market has become very dynamic. High technology industries have increased their demands on the electrical power supplier, requiring more power, increased reliability and lower costs. A typical computer data center may use 100 to 300 watts of energy per square foot compared to an average of 15 watts per square foot for a typical commercial building. Further, an electrical outage, whether it is a complete loss of power or simply a drop in the delivered voltage, can cost these companies millions of dollars in down time and lost business.
In addition, deregulation of the energy industry is allowing both industrial and individual consumers the unprecedented capability to choose their supplier which is fostering a competitive supply/demand driven market in what was once a traditionally monopolistic industry.
Network communications, such as electronic mail transport protocols, are increasingly utilized in this dynamic market. Although email offers a robust delivery of communications there is often no guarantee of the message being communicated and real time communications is not always available.
These requirements of increased demand and higher reliability are burdening an already overtaxed distribution network and forcing utilities to invest in infrastructure improvements at a time when the deregulated competitive market is forcing them to cut costs and lower prices. Accordingly, there is a need for a real time system of managing the distribution and consumption of electrical power which meets the increased demands of users and allows the utility supplier to compete in a deregulated competitive marketplace.